Ray Privett & James Kreul, “A Cinema of Possibilities: Brian Frye Interview”
--How does Frye relate his work (including his film programming) to the following movements / concepts / genres:
Performance (and performance art)- He did a couple of performance pieces in art school, one of which was "Strip Tease" in which he filmed himself getting dressed and then ran the camera backwards. He would also pay homage to performance art in his shows at the Art Institute by going on stage and not doing anything at all, like in his piece "Bryan Fye fails to masturbate." He would also give away original prints at screenings, and advertise himself as a "pseudo magician" on his show posters.
Minimalism- His works relate to the minimalist movement at times because the method of creation and the action on the screen is very similar. For instance, in "the greatest moment of my life" he films his head slowly turning away from the camera; there are no elaborate props, editing, or acting taking place.
Fluxus- Some of his films could also be qualified as Fluxus, like the first film he created to get into film school, with the shots of the building with different colored filters. Also, in many of his films conscious attention is paid to the film medium.
--How does Frye respond to the question about what he “adds” to films such as Anatomy of Melancholy?
From what I understood Frye works to present the found footage material in a way which allows the footage he's manipulating to work to its full potential, to express the hidden and obvious ideas that were present in this footage to begin with.
Scott MacDonald, “Maintenance”
--What are some of the reasons for rental income growth at Canyon Cinema between 1980 and 2003? How did Canyon distinguish itself from the Filmmakers Cooperative and the Museum of Modern Art?
The interest and support for American Independent cinema grew, especially with the support at the academic level, Canyon put out catalogs which propelled the study of avant-garde from the scholarly perspective, and people in general had more money to spend. Canyon distinguished itself from these competitors by regularly putting out catalogs and updating them in a much shorter time. These catalogs were also interactive for their readers and often included still frames or art work by the filmmakers discussed. Also, once in awhile, Canyon's catalogs would include surprise articles discussing various issues from the perspective of artists currently working in the field.
--What problems and controversies did video distribution cause for Canyon in the 1990s? To what degree were the sides of the debate related to the age of the filmmakers on each side? Based upon the interview with Dominic Angerame at the end of the chapter, what was his position on the video debate?
In the 1990s Canyon voted to allow video film makers to become a part of the voting members and help with distribution. Some members, like Conner, did not agree with this decision and thought that if Canyon started distributing video the focus would go away from distributing avant- garde film to a focus on new technologies. There was concern that if Canyon started to distribute video its small staff would become overwhelmed. Age of the filmmakers played a big part in which side of the debate they were on. The older generation was concerned with preserving the art of creating film on film and felt that Canyon's efforts should be focused solely on this goal. The younger generation felt that video art was just as important as film. They felt that video was the way of the future and that Canyon would not be able to survive unless it started to distribute it as well. Angerame felt that Canyon should remain a film only distribution center since there were other video distribution centers the video film makers could take their works too. Further more, he felt that these video distributors did not work to distribute 16 and 8 mm film, so why should Canyon overwhelm itself with video?
--What were the advantages and disadvantages to funding from the National Endowment from the Arts? What controversies developed related to the publication of Canyon Cinema Catalog #5?
I guess the advantages would be the benefits of the funding provided by the NEA and the disadvantages would be the uncertainty of the whether or not this money would actually be coming and if Canyon was going to be able to keep it even after a grant was promised. There was a controversie surrounding Catalog # 7 which was reviewed by the congressional representative, Hoekstra, who was looking into where the NEA funding was actually going. He did not approve of the catalog because he found many pictures and descriptions in it offensive, and then worked to cut of funding for Canyon.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
Christie Milliken, "The Pixel Visions of Sadie Benning"
1. How is Sadie Benning's work related to general trends and characteristics in Riot Grrl subculture? How is Riot Grrl subculture similar to and different from punk subculture?
Benning's work has an "anti-tech aesthetic," which was characteristic of the Riot Grrl punk bands and subculture as well. Her soundtracks are dirty, sometimes incorporating the grind of the camera itself. Her images are pixillated, her editing is rough and obvious. The equipment she uses in itself is outdated and thus anti mainstream. She is creating for the sake of creating, just like the Riot Grrl punk bands, which many times were made up of girls with little to no musical experience. Benning's films were also made for girls like her, dealing with issues of growing up, dealing with sexuality and identity, as well as female empowerment, all done in anti mainstream working process. Riot Grrl subculture was similar to punk because it revolved around the same political and musical tendencies, but it was different because it was focused on the female movement. It encouraged girls to express themselves, form bands, and create art. During this time young girls were restricted from participating in street culture and this movement was their rebellion against this.
2. Why does Milliken refer to Benning's work as visual essays? What are the advantages of viewing the work in relation to this genre? What is meant by "radical feminist essayistic" form?
Benning's works, according to Milliken, are visual essays because they can not be classified under one genre. Her films span everything from fiction, to autobiographical. The advantages of this work is that the film is created from the first person perspective and place an emphasis on communication with their audience. The audience gets to experience her personal perspective without the limitations of a specific genre. The "radical feminist essayistic form" refers to her use of personal words and images in order to call others, as well as her self, to action on the issues with which her works deal with. In this form the female artist also clearly defines herself as different from the patriarchal norm.
Keller and Ward, "Matthew Barney and the Paradox of the Neo-Avant-Garde Blockbuster"
3. What has changed in the gallery art world that allows Barney to describe his work as “sculpture”? In other words, how has the definition of sculpture changed since the 1960s, and why?
The definition of sculpture had become much broader than before, changing from a concrete definition of an artfully created physical work of art to anything from media arts to architecture. The reason for this change has to do with the minimalist and post modernism movements that emphasized creation all across different mediums.
4. Tricky but important question: Why was minimalist sculpture seen as a reaction against the “modernist hymns to the purity and specificity of aesthetic experience”? In other words: Why do they say that minimalist sculpture is post-modernist?
Minimalist sculpture is post-modernist because it emphasized the concept of the experience a viewer has while interacting with a particular work of art.
5. Describe the role of the body in the works of Vito Acconci and Chris Burden. You may wish to consult the following links to supplement the descriptions in the readings:
For Acconci to find his own voice he had to confront the source of imperfection that restricted him, and this source was the body. The use of the body for both artists was for and against minimalism. Using the body took away the emphasis on the performance on the artist separate from the creator.
http://www.ubu.com/film/acconci.html
http://www.ubu.com/film/burden.html
5. In the opinion of the authors, what are the key differences between performance art of the 1960s/1970s and Barney’s Cremaster cycle? What do they mean by the term "blockbuster" in relation to the gallery art world?
The fascination in Barney's art is centralized on the extreme things one can make their body go through, the performance art of the 60s and 70s did not have the artist enduring painful and traumatic experiences for the sake if their work. By "blockbuster" they meant works with high budgets and high publicity, which was very unusual.
Walley, "Modes of Film Practice in the Avant-Garde"
6. What is meant by “mode of film practice”? Give two well known examples of non-experimental modes of film practice. Why does Walley argue that the concept of the mode of film practice can help distinguish between the experimental film and gallery art worlds?
A mode of film practice is a specific style or working process within the avant-garde, for example; classic Hollywood style, French New Wave, and post modernism incorporated into the avant-garde practice. Such classifications of film result in preconceived notions from the audience and other film makers, they categorize works into kinds of genres and thus help distinguish similar works of art.
7. What are some of the key differences between the experimental and gallery art worlds in terms of production and distribution?
Experimental films have more support and are more available to the public than gallery art. One can view avant garde films via the web, at festivals, and at universities. Gallery art viewing seems to be harder to come by and have less financial support from institutions, clubs, and festivals.
Posted by jimbosuave at 9:31 AM 0 comments
1. How is Sadie Benning's work related to general trends and characteristics in Riot Grrl subculture? How is Riot Grrl subculture similar to and different from punk subculture?
Benning's work has an "anti-tech aesthetic," which was characteristic of the Riot Grrl punk bands and subculture as well. Her soundtracks are dirty, sometimes incorporating the grind of the camera itself. Her images are pixillated, her editing is rough and obvious. The equipment she uses in itself is outdated and thus anti mainstream. She is creating for the sake of creating, just like the Riot Grrl punk bands, which many times were made up of girls with little to no musical experience. Benning's films were also made for girls like her, dealing with issues of growing up, dealing with sexuality and identity, as well as female empowerment, all done in anti mainstream working process. Riot Grrl subculture was similar to punk because it revolved around the same political and musical tendencies, but it was different because it was focused on the female movement. It encouraged girls to express themselves, form bands, and create art. During this time young girls were restricted from participating in street culture and this movement was their rebellion against this.
2. Why does Milliken refer to Benning's work as visual essays? What are the advantages of viewing the work in relation to this genre? What is meant by "radical feminist essayistic" form?
Benning's works, according to Milliken, are visual essays because they can not be classified under one genre. Her films span everything from fiction, to autobiographical. The advantages of this work is that the film is created from the first person perspective and place an emphasis on communication with their audience. The audience gets to experience her personal perspective without the limitations of a specific genre. The "radical feminist essayistic form" refers to her use of personal words and images in order to call others, as well as her self, to action on the issues with which her works deal with. In this form the female artist also clearly defines herself as different from the patriarchal norm.
Keller and Ward, "Matthew Barney and the Paradox of the Neo-Avant-Garde Blockbuster"
3. What has changed in the gallery art world that allows Barney to describe his work as “sculpture”? In other words, how has the definition of sculpture changed since the 1960s, and why?
The definition of sculpture had become much broader than before, changing from a concrete definition of an artfully created physical work of art to anything from media arts to architecture. The reason for this change has to do with the minimalist and post modernism movements that emphasized creation all across different mediums.
4. Tricky but important question: Why was minimalist sculpture seen as a reaction against the “modernist hymns to the purity and specificity of aesthetic experience”? In other words: Why do they say that minimalist sculpture is post-modernist?
Minimalist sculpture is post-modernist because it emphasized the concept of the experience a viewer has while interacting with a particular work of art.
5. Describe the role of the body in the works of Vito Acconci and Chris Burden. You may wish to consult the following links to supplement the descriptions in the readings:
For Acconci to find his own voice he had to confront the source of imperfection that restricted him, and this source was the body. The use of the body for both artists was for and against minimalism. Using the body took away the emphasis on the performance on the artist separate from the creator.
http://www.ubu.com/film/acconci.html
http://www.ubu.com/film/burden.html
5. In the opinion of the authors, what are the key differences between performance art of the 1960s/1970s and Barney’s Cremaster cycle? What do they mean by the term "blockbuster" in relation to the gallery art world?
The fascination in Barney's art is centralized on the extreme things one can make their body go through, the performance art of the 60s and 70s did not have the artist enduring painful and traumatic experiences for the sake if their work. By "blockbuster" they meant works with high budgets and high publicity, which was very unusual.
Walley, "Modes of Film Practice in the Avant-Garde"
6. What is meant by “mode of film practice”? Give two well known examples of non-experimental modes of film practice. Why does Walley argue that the concept of the mode of film practice can help distinguish between the experimental film and gallery art worlds?
A mode of film practice is a specific style or working process within the avant-garde, for example; classic Hollywood style, French New Wave, and post modernism incorporated into the avant-garde practice. Such classifications of film result in preconceived notions from the audience and other film makers, they categorize works into kinds of genres and thus help distinguish similar works of art.
7. What are some of the key differences between the experimental and gallery art worlds in terms of production and distribution?
Experimental films have more support and are more available to the public than gallery art. One can view avant garde films via the web, at festivals, and at universities. Gallery art viewing seems to be harder to come by and have less financial support from institutions, clubs, and festivals.
Posted by jimbosuave at 9:31 AM 0 comments
Sunday, April 4, 2010
response 5
First, respond to Tribulation 99 in relation to Zryd's description of student responses in his own classes.
From what I've read in the class notes and the article, Zryd's students had a hard time understanding which parts of the film were real, and which were fictitious. I haven't been able to get full version of the film yet, but from what I've seen so far I can understand how this could be a problem if they did not have their professor first explain the concepts behind the film. I watched the beginning before reading anything about it, and could not make any real sense of what was going on, but then again I'm not really a history buff.
Michael Zryd, “Found Footage Film as Discursive Metahistory: Craig Baldwin’s Tribulation 99”
1. Explain Paul Arthur's distinction between the "realist" use of found footage and the "figurative" use of found footage. Which becomes important in Tribulation 99 and why?
Filmmakers use found footage in a "realist" way to "illustrate or analyze" his or her point. This footage is an actual representation of what is being showcased, and is used in addition to a voice over dialogue to make a point about whatever it may be. The "figurative" use of found footage, which is more prevalent if not dominating in Tribulation 99, is the metaphorical representation of a concept or event. In this model the artist uses preconceived notions about the image to form an idea using images that might have had nothing to do with the actual event, and combines them with voice over to bring their ideas across.
Marc Masters, “The Offenders: No Wave Cinema”
2. Name at least three similarities between the punk music scene and the punk/no-wave filmmaking scene, in terms of technology, style, and community.
1. Everybody worked on each others movies and did more than one job, just like punk musicians would often play in several different bands and switch from one instrument to the next.
2. Acting and production crews formed much like the punk bands, based on the people they knew and liked as opposed to film or musical experience.
3. Both groups worked with technologies not used in the main stream; the punks with their slide guitars and the No-Waves with their super 8 cameras.
William Wees, “Peggy’s Playhouse: Contesting the Modernist Paradigm”
3. According to Wees, what are the 5 characteristics of the modernist paradigm dominating North American avant-garde filmmaking before the 1980s?
1. opposition to the mainstream and commercial cinema
2. the autonomy of art-> I'm not sure here, is this referring to artists being self reliant and independent, or does it have something to do with placing the art in historical content?
3. The need to explore and bring attention to the medium used to create the art.
4. The superiority of "high" art over modern culture
5. The need to create unique works of art that express the artist as an auteur but also invoke broad universal concepts
4. Given the 5 characteristics above, how does Awhesh reject or question each of them (give examples from throughout the article).
1. Post 80s AG film makers not only opposed the mainstream cinema but also the aesthetic of modernism associated with many AG works prior to that time.
2. Post 80s film included many aspects of society that were previously left out of AG films, and re-contextualized AG within the broader realm of all social media.
3. Instead of bringing attention to the medium, she uses the Super 8 and all of its imperfections to create a "throw together" feeling in her films. There are still manipulations present, such as film scratches, but instead of drawing attention to themselves they are encompassed into the whole experience
4. She does not try to create elaborate sets, uses low end equipment, and works with untrained actors, such as her daughter. She doesn't snub modern culture, but rather uses her works to examine it and the roles people undoubtedly have to play in it.
5. She uses found footage for some of her works, like "The Color of Love," rather then filming and thus manipulating the action in front of her camera.
5. What does Ahwesh mean by rejecting the “aesthetics of mastery” and how is this related to punk filmmaking?
She goes against conventional film making or "authoritative narrative structures." She doesn't use trained actors, uses a super 8 camera, doesn't spend a lot of time in preproduction, and films action for the sake of filming action. This is reminiscent if not directly influenced by Warhol's working style. Punk filmmaking was also more about the experience of creating the film and making it a spectacle for people to enjoy, rather then spending time perfecting every shot using high end equipment, sets, props, etc.
6. Why does Wees argue that The Color of Love subverts conventional wisdom about mainstream pornography?
In mainstream pornography there's there's usually a focus on an erect penis and the male orgasm, while in her film the focus is on two women making love and an unresponsive male.
7. In what ways does Awhesh transform images from Tomb Raider in She Puppet?
She took Laura Croft out of the video game context and made her perform repeated actions, which she edited together to recontextualize her character. She would use variations in these repetitions such as sets, costumes, and camera angles. She took other images from the game and made them work against their their original purposes. The guns never hit their targets, the tigers never attacked, ect.
From what I've read in the class notes and the article, Zryd's students had a hard time understanding which parts of the film were real, and which were fictitious. I haven't been able to get full version of the film yet, but from what I've seen so far I can understand how this could be a problem if they did not have their professor first explain the concepts behind the film. I watched the beginning before reading anything about it, and could not make any real sense of what was going on, but then again I'm not really a history buff.
Michael Zryd, “Found Footage Film as Discursive Metahistory: Craig Baldwin’s Tribulation 99”
1. Explain Paul Arthur's distinction between the "realist" use of found footage and the "figurative" use of found footage. Which becomes important in Tribulation 99 and why?
Filmmakers use found footage in a "realist" way to "illustrate or analyze" his or her point. This footage is an actual representation of what is being showcased, and is used in addition to a voice over dialogue to make a point about whatever it may be. The "figurative" use of found footage, which is more prevalent if not dominating in Tribulation 99, is the metaphorical representation of a concept or event. In this model the artist uses preconceived notions about the image to form an idea using images that might have had nothing to do with the actual event, and combines them with voice over to bring their ideas across.
Marc Masters, “The Offenders: No Wave Cinema”
2. Name at least three similarities between the punk music scene and the punk/no-wave filmmaking scene, in terms of technology, style, and community.
1. Everybody worked on each others movies and did more than one job, just like punk musicians would often play in several different bands and switch from one instrument to the next.
2. Acting and production crews formed much like the punk bands, based on the people they knew and liked as opposed to film or musical experience.
3. Both groups worked with technologies not used in the main stream; the punks with their slide guitars and the No-Waves with their super 8 cameras.
William Wees, “Peggy’s Playhouse: Contesting the Modernist Paradigm”
3. According to Wees, what are the 5 characteristics of the modernist paradigm dominating North American avant-garde filmmaking before the 1980s?
1. opposition to the mainstream and commercial cinema
2. the autonomy of art-> I'm not sure here, is this referring to artists being self reliant and independent, or does it have something to do with placing the art in historical content?
3. The need to explore and bring attention to the medium used to create the art.
4. The superiority of "high" art over modern culture
5. The need to create unique works of art that express the artist as an auteur but also invoke broad universal concepts
4. Given the 5 characteristics above, how does Awhesh reject or question each of them (give examples from throughout the article).
1. Post 80s AG film makers not only opposed the mainstream cinema but also the aesthetic of modernism associated with many AG works prior to that time.
2. Post 80s film included many aspects of society that were previously left out of AG films, and re-contextualized AG within the broader realm of all social media.
3. Instead of bringing attention to the medium, she uses the Super 8 and all of its imperfections to create a "throw together" feeling in her films. There are still manipulations present, such as film scratches, but instead of drawing attention to themselves they are encompassed into the whole experience
4. She does not try to create elaborate sets, uses low end equipment, and works with untrained actors, such as her daughter. She doesn't snub modern culture, but rather uses her works to examine it and the roles people undoubtedly have to play in it.
5. She uses found footage for some of her works, like "The Color of Love," rather then filming and thus manipulating the action in front of her camera.
5. What does Ahwesh mean by rejecting the “aesthetics of mastery” and how is this related to punk filmmaking?
She goes against conventional film making or "authoritative narrative structures." She doesn't use trained actors, uses a super 8 camera, doesn't spend a lot of time in preproduction, and films action for the sake of filming action. This is reminiscent if not directly influenced by Warhol's working style. Punk filmmaking was also more about the experience of creating the film and making it a spectacle for people to enjoy, rather then spending time perfecting every shot using high end equipment, sets, props, etc.
6. Why does Wees argue that The Color of Love subverts conventional wisdom about mainstream pornography?
In mainstream pornography there's there's usually a focus on an erect penis and the male orgasm, while in her film the focus is on two women making love and an unresponsive male.
7. In what ways does Awhesh transform images from Tomb Raider in She Puppet?
She took Laura Croft out of the video game context and made her perform repeated actions, which she edited together to recontextualize her character. She would use variations in these repetitions such as sets, costumes, and camera angles. She took other images from the game and made them work against their their original purposes. The guns never hit their targets, the tigers never attacked, ect.
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